Web/Tech

November 27, 2014

Flying home from Charleston last evening, the stranger next to me asked me what I did for a living. I told her and we talked about our careers for a bit. The conversation moved from occupations to Thanksgiving. I told the stranger the following story as it was fresh in my head and in my heart.

Once upon a time last Saturday, a handful of people – mostly Millennials except for me, the lone Baby Boomer, traveled to a house in rural South Carolina. A house that was falling apart. A house that had a screened in front porch minus the screens. A house with broken windows and doors. A house that some would have condemned long ago. A dilapidated house that was home to seven people…six children I’m guessing between the ages of five and 13, their loving grandmother and one pit bull. A house with holes in the walls from being kicked out or punched out for one reason or another. A house that was filled with debris, dog feces, dirty clothing, cockroaches, stench, filth, laughter and love. The grandmother was in a robe – it was about 10:00 A.M. when we arrived. The care project was divided into work that needed done immediately.

Clean the pantry shelves, remove debris and put new boards on the shelving.

Fix the holes in the walls and closets by installing new drywall.

Paint walls.

Fix roof.

Install new screens on the front porch.

Hang new blinds in all the windows of the house.

Clean – everything and everywhere.

Throw out junk and debris.

The task I was initially assigned was to help clean the pantry area and get it into a condition where the family would know what food they had – or didn’t – and provide some semblance of organization. Once that task was completed, I was then asked to go into the grandmother’s room to clear a path so the new blinds could be installed.

I enlisted the help of one of the boys – for the sake of this post, I’ll call him Sport – he told me he liked sports and rattled off his favorite teams. I asked him if he had ever heard of the state of Iowa or The University of Iowa Hawkeyes – nope, he had not. I thanked him for his honesty and for not confusing Iowa with Ohio or Idaho. Our work together continued. He picked up garbage about two feet deep along side of the bed and tossed it into the large black sack I was holding, then we traded tasks. I would sweep, scoop and dump as he held the sack. We found a pretty bracelet, a one dollar bill, Winnie the Pooh and assorted children’s books, among other things.

As we worked together, we chatted. Sport and I hauled the first of many sacks of garbage out through the yard. I told him I was afraid of the pit bull and he told me not to be. I asked him to walk with me and be my protector – and he did. I held onto Sport’s arm while we passed by the pit bull. As we walked back to the porch to continue our project, I said, “Sport, let’s assess – let’s assess our work so far – yes, let’s make an assessment.” He asked me what assess and assessment meant. I said, “you know at school, Sport, when you take a test. Well, that is an assessment of what you have learned – a review of what you have learned I guess you could say.”

Sport laughed – he thought it was cool to say assess and assessment. “Let’s make an assessment” he stated. And we did. We assessed that we had completed the task of clearing the debris by the bed and that we were ready to do something else of the cleaning variety.

Early afternoon, it was time to go. Sport wanted to know if I would be coming back. I told him I was heading home to Iowa soon and would not be back. As I walked towards the car, I turned to see Sport as he tossed his football in the air. He was smiling. I waved goodbye and my eyes filled with tears. Assess. Assess. Assess – no crying!

This Thanksgiving, I am keeping Grandma in the Red Robe, Sport and his brothers and sisters in my thoughts. I am thankful for them. And I think of them. I wonder what Sport is doing now?

I went to Charleston to hang out with family, to see the sites, to shop, to dine and to do the town. While that was fun and fine, what I left with is a story about what matters. A story about giving + thanks. A story about thanks + giving. A story about a little boy named Sport – a story that will stick with me much longer than the Carolina Moon soap, bean soup or Beadah Licken Brownies that I bought at Boone Hall Farms Market. What I came home with is an even deeper sense of gratitude for family, friendships and things that truly matter in life. What I came home with is a story about a little boy with a football, a dust pan and a broom who taught me a thing or three about what’s important and what’s not.

January 09, 2014

Do not start your job search by “throwing together” a résuméto “see what’s out there.” Be deliberate, intentional and purposeful as you embark upon the career transition process.

Respect yourself enough to know yourself – inside and out – before you “go to market.” Self-assessment is the place to begin.

If you say “I don’t have money to hire help” then start reading and learning on your own. If you say “I don’t have access to a computer as the company kept mine when they fired me,” then see what you can do to get access to one. Borrow one? Go to the public library? Buy the extra one your buddy has sitting on the shelf collecting dust?

Do not blame other people for your current status of “unemployment.” Own it. Manage it. Move on. What’s done is done and there’s no better time than the New Year to create a new beginning.

Let go of negativity. Hiring managers don’t want to hear it; recruiters don’t what to hear it; and your family/friends for sure don’t want to hear it. Try this: Get a small notebook to drag around everywhere you go. Listen to what you are saying. Each time you speak something negative, record it in your notebook. Do this for one solid month. At the end of the month, what – if anything – have you learned?

No matter how difficult, challenging or tough your circumstances, decide that you are in charge of you and that you will make a promise to yourself to get a plan in place to move forward -- not tomorrow, not next week – today!

Enlist some people to help you make a new beginning in the New Year. You can fly “solo” in looking for a new job, or you can build a team. Teamwork works.

Do not tell yourself how bad, awful or terrible the job market. Somebody somewhere thinks it is good and that somebody is going to get the job that has your name on it.

Make a list of five positive attributes about yourself and beside each attribute, write an example to back up your claim. This activity will be helpful in writing your résumé and in job interviews.

Make a list of five negative characteristics about yourself. Think: assets/liabilities. Once you have named your top five, ask yourself: Will this trait work for me or against me in looking for a new opportunity and what, if anything, can I do to manage this trait so it doesn’t pose a problem?

Make a list of your skills – the ones that you are good at and would like to offer to an employer to generate a paycheck. If you say, I have no idea what my skills are, here’s a quick and easy activity: on a blank sheet of paper, write KNOW – L – EDGE at the top. Then start compiling a list as quickly as you can of what you KNOW that gives you an EDGE. You’ll surprise yourself!

Convince yourself of your value and worth before you try and convince a stranger.

Make a consistent commitment to your career transition project. You are the project manager. You are the project driver and leader. What you do today determines your project outcomes tomorrow.

Do something special for someone today with no expectation of thanks, recognition or acknowledgement.

“We cannot start over, but we can begin now, and make a new beginning” ~ Zig Ziglar

January 06, 2014

Spending time with a little baby over the weekend was a splendid experience. Here is a photo of a precious seven-month old who offered free lessons regarding skill development. When this seven-month old “grows up”, I hope he doesn’t forget everything he learned as a baby. Perhaps it will keep him on track if ever he should find himself in the midst of a career transition.

Smile at people.

Follow the eyes of those present.

Grasp an object and hold on.

Laugh.

Hold your head steady and/or high.

Respond with delight when you hear your name.

Do certain tasks without support, once you have shown mastery.

Convert babble into communication that generates desired results and outcomes.

Jump for joy about something, no matter what your numerical age.

Exhibit competence in staying on task until you reach your target goal.

December 17, 2013

Let's say that your name is Jeb and that you have been looking for a job for the past few months.

You can’t wait to hit “send” after filling out online applications ad nauseam.

To date, you have hit send 53 times.

You know you have because you are keeping track in your little green spiral notebook.

To date, you have heard from exactly no one.

Zero. Zilch. Zip. Nada. Nothing. No one.

Not one person has contacted you as a result of your replies to job postings.

Nothing is happening – nothing.

You don’t get it.

You don’t understand why no one replies to your “sends.”

You are frustrated.

You decide to take a break from the computer, the job search and the incessant focus on finding employment via a computer search.

You decide at the last minute to go to Ben’s holiday party across town to get away from all the madness (your word) of job search.

Why not go? You can always return to the computer – the computer doesn’t care what time it is. The computer doesn’t care if it is 3:00 A.M. and you can’t sleep.

The computer doesn’t care how many times you hit “send.”

You hop on the “L” headed to the party, hoping that the train stays on schedule.

Ben works for ABC Corporation – he’s a corporate trainer. Ben knows that after the first of the year, his department is going to be adding a new employee to the HR Department. The only other people who know of the upcoming hire are Ben’s boss and his four colleagues. You are Ben’s acquaintance; you’ve known him since high school and on occasion, you hang out, although he’s not your BFF.

At the holiday party, Ben introduces you to his boss, Katherine.

You and Katherine exchange pleasantries and discover that your sons both attend the same elementary school and have Mrs. Willie as their teacher.

Katherine inquires as to what you do for a living – you offer that you are “between jobs” and have a background in HR and a law degree from XYZ University.

Ben interrupts the conversation as he wants to “introduce you around” to some people.

Nice to meet you, Katherine.

Three days later, Katherine contacts you via email (Ben gave her your email address) wanting to know if you would be interested in interviewing for a newly created position that will be opening up after the first of the year.

You are shocked.

And surprised.

Overjoyed, in fact.

You grab your phone and enter the date on the calendar – followed by a mental note to self:

Do Not Mess This Up!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 – you have an interview: 10:00 A.M.

And you didn’t find the job lead on the Internet.

Remember, the computer doesn’t care if you have a job or if you don’t have a job.

The computer doesn’t care if you are frustrated, tired, overwhelmed, struggling or stuck.

What the computer and its never-ending job search articles can teach you, however, is this old-school tip:

November 26, 2013

Are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday? Are you having family join you? Who’s on your guest list? Have you planned the menu? Have your shopped for the provisions you will need? Have you enlisted others to bring something to add to the feast? Can you find that favorite recipe that you want to whip up? Have you thought in advance how you will serve the meal? How will you decorate the table? What beverages will you offer those in attendance? What time will dinner be served? What desserts will you have on hand for the gathering? What about hors d'oeuvres? Where will guests sit? Who gets seated next to Aunt Gladys and Uncle George? What about the dog – does she get to stay inside or does she get parked in the kennel? Who’s on clean-up duty?

Questions, questions and more questions in preparation for a Thanksgiving Day celebration.

Can you imagine hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner and doing absolutely nothing to prepare for it?

Wonder what your family or guests would say, think, or do if they arrived and you had done nothing in advance to prepare for the holiday gathering?

Can you imagine looking for a new job and doing absolutely nothing to prepare for it? Do you know anyone who uses the WITFAJ plan? Are you a fan of the WITFAJ formula? It’s a timeless strategy, you know – Wingin’ It To Find a Job. No thought, no preparation, no readiness, no commitment, no advance planning needed for this strategy – whether you are embarking upon a Thanksgiving Dinner or a new job search.

One of my clients (a hiring manager) and I were talking about job search and job seekers. He was commenting how he could spot a stand-out candidate in but a few seconds. I asked him how and he said “there’s one thing above all else -- they are prepared.”

As Thanksgiving Day approaches and as your job search gets underway, are you prepared?

“If I miss a day of practice, I know it. If I miss two days, my manager knows it. If I miss three days, my audience knows it." — André Previn

Do you think that the person who describes herself in such terms feels like she doesn’t measure up in the world of occupational job titles? What do you think?

Many years ago, a recruiter told me to “never say ‘JUST ’ about any occupation as it is disrespectful of one’s self and one’s position. There is honor in all work. Respect yourself. Respect your job -- whatever it is."

I have always appreciated his words. His counsel has always served as a good reminder of how not to demean, belittle or put yourself down in a job interview, a business conversation, a networking event, or life, in general.

How about giving yourself a valuable (free) gift and strike the ‘just’ from your conversation? Own it and respect it -- whatever your “it” is. State your occupational title as it is – minus the “just” part. I’m a wife. I’m a mother. I’m a sister. I’m a daughter. I’m a friend. I’m a gardener. I’m a career management professional. I’m a résumé writer. I’m an author. I’m a poet. I’m a speaker. I’m an outplacement consultant. I’m a blogger.

Whatever “just” you are in life, I hope you are the very best one possible.

If you can’t be a highway then just be a trail,If you can’t be the sun be a star;It isn’t by size that you win or you fail -Be the best of whatever you are!

November 13, 2013

The thing about being a career management professional is that you never know what sort of question you will be asked by a job seeker:

Will I ever find a job?

How long will it take me to find a job?

Why doesn’t an employer hire me?

Why can’t I get promoted?

Why does my boss hate me?

How bad is my résumé?

How can I get some confidence?

How do I change jobs?

Why am I so scared about interviewing?

I have submitted over 20 applications and not one word back – what’s up with that?

Why is job search so frustrating?

I don’t know what question is on your mind right now, but I have been thinking about the “what do you do when you don’t know what to do?” one for several days.

Here are some things to do when you don’t know what to do:

Research. Research something of interest as it relates to the world of work. Research articles and information on topics of interest. Pick something. Pick one thing. Start there. Research, research, research. Keep notes of your findings.

Take a few assessments. If you don’t agree with what the assessment suggests you “should be” when you grow up, look for the skills within the job title/job family. I love taking career assessments; that said, nearly every assessment I have ever taken suggests I “should be” an attorney or a psychologist. Upon review of the KSA’s of an attorney and a psychologist, those same skills are also found in the work that I perform. Look for clues, themes and patterns about yourself as you work through the assessment process.

Listen More Than You Talk. Converse with three people who perform jobs in which you have some interest. Take notes. Ask good questions: How did you get started in this business? What do you like best? What are the trends/changes in this line of work? What qualifications are most desirable for this occupational area? Who else do you recommend that I speak with regarding this profession?

Read. Get out of the house and visit your local library. Start reading. I don’t know what you will uncover, discover, realize – just go. What, if anything, did you learn from this experience?

Change the Daily Script. Instead of telling yourself day after day that you don’t know what to do, tell yourself that you will figure it out. “Today, I will start my journey of finding an answer to my question: What to do when I don’t know what to do? I will no longer put it off; I won’t wait one more day to find an answer. I will find an answer. I am worth it. I owe it to myself.”

Write. Many of my clients say that they “hate to write.” I am not suggesting writing a book or a blog; I am suggesting that you write a few words on a piece of paper to serve as a possible spark. No one needs to see your writing, unless you wish to share your thoughts. At the top of a piece of paper, write these words: “What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do.” Set a timer for five minutes and for the next five minutes, as fast as you can write without interruption, write, write and write. Do not stop writing until time is up. What did you write? What, if any, ideas, thoughts, or notions appear?

Take your own advice. Let’s say that your best friend asked you for ideas on what to do when you don’t know what to do, what would you tell him or her? Listen to yourself – if it is good enough advice for them, how about it being good enough advice for you?

As a job seeker, what do you do when you don’t know what to do?

“People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates.” ~ Thomas Szasz